662783 Tue Oct 27 15:15:34 -0700 2009 5 34 Wine 0 5135549 Provided by one of my guests, the 2008 Chateau Graville-Lacoste Graves blanc kicked off an evening of old Bordeaux as our "meet and greet" wine. It's so much better than that and really deserves to be showcased in its own right. Gorgeous perfume of grass, lime leaf and cold stones, I loved the weight on the palate and waxy texture, which suggest a major component of Semillon. Yet this wine has plenty of verve, great cut and crispness from the Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. Great balance and presence, drinking beautifully now, highly recommended. Made by Hervé Dubourdieu and imported by Kermit Lynch, I'm told it retails for about $18. Tue Oct 27 15:15:34 -0700 2009 10039 Melanie Wong 1 5136367 Thanks for the note, Melanie. The Graville Lacoste has been a perennial favourite of our wine-tasting group since we first encountered it in the 2006 vintage. My notes on a bottle of the 2008 tasted in mid-August parallel yours and finish with "more about minerals than fruit." I got some kiwi on the nose, though, along with the grass and stones. In the three vintages I've tasted to date, I've found that, aromatically speaking, the Sauvignon Blanc plays a bigger role in the young wine than its relatively small percentage would suggest. While the wine is not designed for aging, a bottle of the 2006 opened last winter was very enjoyable, albeit showing less Sauvignon exuberance. Here's a translation of the technical data provided by the local importer (oenopole): Soil: argillo-calcareous. Grapes: 70% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Muscadelle. Vineyard: 15 ha. Vine training: taille à cotte (not sure what "cotte" means here; by itself it means overalls or coat, as in coat of arms). Density: 7,000 vines/ha. Average age of vines: ±50 years. Yield: ±50 hl/ha. Harvesting: manual for the Sémillon, mechanical for the Sauvignon Blanc. Vinification: Fermentation with native yeasts at 18°C in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats; 4 rackings; fining but no filtration; blended just before bottling. Upbringing: 6 months in stainless steel vats. Total SO2: ±99 mg/litre. Bottles: ±100,000 per vintage. Tue Oct 27 21:07:07 -0700 2009 5135549 10520 carswell 2 5199615 Have you tried the Ch. Ducasse blanc by the same winemaker? Sun Nov 22 02:53:26 -0800 2009 5136367 10039 Melanie Wong 3 5200181 No, unfortunately. Have you? Sun Nov 22 10:59:04 -0800 2009 5199615 10520 carswell 4 5201395 It's been a few vintages since I lasted tasted it. I think the Ducasse is priced a couple dollars less. Sun Nov 22 21:42:53 -0800 2009 5200181 10039 Melanie Wong 1 5200381 Sounds like just what I'm looking for. Sun Nov 22 12:38:01 -0800 2009 5135549 74905 jaykayen